Normal Aging Changes:
The Effects on a Woman with a Disability
Listed here are changes that occur with normal aging. They occur whether you are disabled or not. Generally, these changes occur slowly over time. You will want to note how these changes can affect your functioning in light of your disability. This list does not include every possible change and every woman will see these changes in her own way.
SKIN
Normal aging changes
Skin becomes dry, thinner, and less elastic.
There is less fat under the skin and over bones.
Hair becomes thinner or is lost on most areas of the body.
- There may be a decreased sense of touch.
Effects on disability
As a woman with a disability, you may be at higher risk for skin breakdown, such as pressure sores.
Reaction to pain and temperature changes may be slower. You may be at higher risk for burns, cuts, and scratches because you may not realize right away that your skin is being injured.
Self breast exam might be harder for you to do, putting you at risk for missing changes that might be a sign of breast cancer. Since the risk of getting breast cancer goes up with age for all women, this is an important issue for you. To learn more click on: BREAST HEALTH .
BONES and MUSCLES 
Normal aging changes
Loss of minerals from bone
Decrease in muscle strength
Effects on disability
These changes put you at a higher risk for osteoporosis or thinning of the bones. This is not a normal part of aging, but it is very common. This can result in bone fractures from falls or even simple transfers. Women with disabilities who are not able to bear weight may already have some bone thinning. These changes could make an existing problem worse. To learn more click on: OSTEOPOROSIS
You may have more muscle fatigue and arthritis pain from the effects of both overuse and aging
If arthritic changes are present, you may have problems doing self breast exam.
HEART and LUNGS
Normal aging changes
If osteoporosis develops, older women may have poor posture so that the lungs cannot expand and take in air as well as they should.
Cough reflex is diminished.
There may be an increase in blood pressure.
Heart and lungs may not work as well.
Effects on disability
Increased fatigue and shortness of breath with transferring and activities of daily living can occur.
More caregiver help may be needed to save energy.
If a woman has trouble swallowing, she may have a higher risk of getting food or liquid into her lungs as she gets older. Getting food or liquid into the lungs can lead to pneumonia.
As a women with a disability, you may need more time to recover from colds and the flu because of immobility.
A weak cough may keep the body from being able to clear the lungs of mucus. This puts a woman with a disability at a higher risk for lung infections, especially if her disability affects her breathing.
NERVOUS SYSTEM 
Normal aging changes
Reaction time is slower
Changes in sleep patterns occur
Build up of plaque occurs in blood vessels in the brain
The size and weight of the brain actually decrease with age.
Effects on disability
If you have memory loss as you get older, you may have trouble doing certain daily activities such as taking your medicines.
If you have both physical disability and memory loss you may have safety problems if you live alone.
A woman who has problems sleeping can have even more fatigue when she already struggles with it because of her disability.
Plaque can build in blood vessels and raise the risk for stroke (brain attack). Women who have a diet high in fat and cholesterol, because they cannot prepare healthy meals, may be at even higher risk for stroke.
VISION
Normal aging changes
Decreased ability to focus quickly and clearly on objects at various distances.
Less ability to adjust to light changes when moving from a bright to dark room. This occurs most rapidly after age 60.
Decline in the ability of the eyes to adapt to bright lights; more time is needed for eyes to recover from glare, flashbulbs and car headlights.
Higher risk for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and far-sightedness.
Effects on disability
Poor vision can place a woman at higher risk for taking her medicine wrong since she may not be able to read the bottle.
Risk for falls and injury rises. If the vision loss becomes severe, the woman may no longer be able to live alone.
Poor vision may lower the woman's ability to drive. If she cannot drive, she may have to rely more on other people. This can cause transportation problems and affect her ability of getting to and from the doctor, testing, etc. This may also affect her social visits causing her to feel isolated and depressed.
HEARING 
Normal aging changes
Changes in the inner ear can cause problems hearing high-pitched sounds.
Effects
These changes may make it harder to hear important things that other people say, such as health care providers and caregivers.
Others may label a woman with hearing loss as confused if her answers to questions are wrong or don't make sense because she didn't hear the question.
Older women may develop ringing in the ears (tinnitus). This can be quite disturbing for those who suffer from it and often results in problems with falling asleep. This can add to fatigue.
TASTE/SMELL
Normal aging changes
Decrease in the number and sensitivity of taste buds
Decreased ability to smell odors, which results in a decrease in one's appetite for food
Effects on disability
A woman may have less interest in eating because she cannot taste and enjoy certain foods.
The decreased ability to taste may cause a woman to eat foods high in salt and sugar.
A woman who finds it hard to prepare food because of her disability may find it even harder to fix healthy meals.
These changes in eating can result in weight gain for a woman with a disability, which can affect mobility.
Poor nutrition can make conditions such as congestive heart failure and diabetes worse since they require following a special diet.
The loss of smell can be a safety hazard. A woman may not be able to smell something burning. This can result in a delayed detection of a fire. If a woman's disability keeps her from leaving her home quickly, this delay could mean life or death.
KIDNEY and BLADDER 
Normal aging changes
Kidneys are less able to clear waste from the blood.
There is decreased blood flow to the kidneys.
Urinary bladder cannot hold as much urine.
The urge to urinate may be delayed.
The length of the path between the bladder and the opening where urine comes out becomes shorter.
There may be less sensation in the bladder.
Effects on disability
There may be a risk for urinary tract infections (UTI) because bacteria have a shorter route to travel to get to the bladder. For a woman with a disability who is already prone to UTI, this problem could become worse with age.
The usual presentation of a UTI may change as one ages. For example, bladder pain may not be present because of lower sensation. This can lead to delay in diagnosis and treatment.
One may need to empty the bladder more often, which can be a real problem for a woman whose disability makes it hard to use the bathroom.
Urinary incontinence can develop or become more of a nuisance as a result of these changes. For a woman with a disability, this may mean less freedom because of fear of accidents. If a woman has problems using public restrooms, this may increase her accidents. As a result, a woman may tend to stay at home.
A woman who has a program that works well to deal with urinary incontinence may need to modify her program to avoid accidents.
DIGESTION/BOWELS
Normal aging changes
Overall slowing of digestion
Changes in the way the body breaks down and uses food
Effects on disability
If a woman with a disability has an effective bowel program, aging may may require changes in that program.
Constipation may become more of a problem, especially if medications are added or changed.
Chronic constipation can increase the risk for colon cancer; this risk already increases with age.
IMMUNE SYSTEM
Normal aging changes
Decreased ability to fight off diseases
Effects on disability
There is a higher risk for certain diseases such as cancer and pneumonia.
Women who have a disability that impairs the immune system or requires the use of medicines that affect the immune response (steroids, chemotherapy or cancer drugs, and others) are already at risk for the effects of a weakened immune system. The aging of the immune system may place them at even higher risk for infection. To learn more about immunizations, Go to Immunizations.
GENITAL TRACT
Normal aging changes
Decreased secretions or moisture of the vagina
Weakening of the floor of the pelvis
Effects on disability
These changes can result in incontinence and painful sexual intercourse. For a woman with a disability, these problems may already be an issue; but as she changes related to aging, she may need to adjust methods that had worked well for her as a younger woman.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
Normal Aging Changes
There is decreased sensation of hot and cold temperatures.
Normal body temperature decreases with age, especially in people older than 75 years of age.
The body's ability to deal with infections that cause fever may be lower.
Greater differences between actual body temperature and skin temperature can result in poor measures of body temperature.
Effects on disability
Infections such as pneumonia may not be picked up early enough because fever is not present. A delay in diagnosis can be a problem for a woman with a disability if her ability to fight off disease is already low.
Without help, an older woman with a disability may not notice extreme hot or cold conditions or be able to get to a place that is air-conditioned or heated properly.
Financial concerns may stop a woman from keeping her home at a safe temperature. For example, if a woman has air-conditioning, she or her caregiver may not turn it on when needed in order to save money.
[Top]
08/08/2003 01:00 AM